The Relationship of Functional Test Performance with Proficiency and Injury Occurrence in High School Volleyball Players

Understanding the relationships between functional performance tests and sport performance is important for sport coaches and trainers. The purpose of this study is twofold: (1) Do relationships exist between upper body and lower body functional tests and volleyball proficiency between upper-classmen (juniors, seniors) and lower-classmen (freshmen, sophomores) at the high school level? and (2) Can functional test performance predict injury occurrence throughout a travel volleyball season? The participant sample included 52 high school-aged club volleyball athletes (aged 14-18) recruited from 2 volleyball clubs located in Columbus, OH. This is a prospective research design in which each participant was tested in March and April of 2022. After obtaining parental consent and player assent, measurements were taken of the participants’ passive range of motion in the shoulders and thoracic spine, followed by the DCKC test and a grip strength test. After completion of these tests, the Landing Error Scoring System (LESS) drop jump task was recorded, where 2 practice attempts were performed, followed by 4 trials that were video-recorded. This data has been utilized to answer the first research question regarding the relationship between functional tests and volleyball playing proficiency in different high school age groups. For the second research question, questionnaires will be emailed to participants to determine injury status/occurrence throughout the season, and specific location and type of injury will be recorded. The performance tests will be used as independent variables to predict the dependent variable of injuries. The knowledge gained in this study may benefit volleyball players and coaches by possibly demonstrating a link between different measures (functional movement, stability, jump-landing biomechanics) and sport proficiency or injury occurrence over the course of a season

Winter Waterbird Community Composition and Use at Created Wetlands in West Virginia, USA

Information on nonbreeding waterbirds using created wetlands in the Central Appalachian region of the United States is limited. We compared waterbird communities of two managed wetlands, created in 2013 and 2001, in West Virginia. We observed 27 species of waterbirds. Species richness and diversity were generally similar between the wetlands, but species composition and use differed. Branta canadensis(Canada Geese), Anas strepera (Gadwall), Bucephala albeola (Buffleheads), Aythya affinis (Lesser Scaup), and Aythya collaris (Ring-Necked Ducks) used the older wetland most frequently. Disparities in species use were the highest in March. The older wetland differed from the younger in supporting species such as diving ducks, possibly due to differences in size, vegetation, water depth, and microtopography. However, the ability to provide habitat for waterbirds during the winter was determined to be comparable between wetlands, despite their age difference

Human Trafficking

Human trafficking is a current problem that health professionals, such as pharmacists, should be aware of. This poster was created as a group project by pre-pharmacy majors and exhibited to faculty and graduate pharmacy students. The primary purpose of the project was to learn about human trafficking as a public health concern, increase awareness, and search for ways to reduce the problem. The poster highlights the different forms of human trafficking and what determinants of health apply to this problem. It also seeks to show how human trafficking relates to the pharmacy profession.https://digitalcommons.cedarville.edu/public_health_posters/1023/thumbnail.jp

Lack of safe drinking water for lake Chapala basin communities in Mexico inhibits progress toward sustainable development goals 3 and 6.

Background: Access to safe, affordable and accessible drinking water is a human right and foundational to the third and sixth World Health Organization’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Unsafe drinking water is a risk factor for chronic and enteric diseases. Both chronic kidney disease (CKD) and diarrheal disease are highly prevalent in the Lake Chapala basin, Jalisco, Mexico, suggesting disparities in factors leading to successful achievement of these two SDGs. Methods: This study aimed to assess progress towards SDG three and six in the Lake Chapala basin. Qualitative, quantitative, and geospatial data were collected between May and August of 2019 from three towns within the municipalities of Poncitlán and Chapala. Results: Ninety-nine households participated in this study. Water sampling analyses determined 81.18% of samples from water jugs (garrafones) and 70.05% of samples from tap water were contaminated with total coliform bacteria, often including E. coli. Additionally, 32% of garrafón samples and 61.9% of tap water samples had detectable levels of arsenic. Approximately 97.94% of respondents stated that they believe clean water is a human right, but 78.57% feel the Mexican government does not do enough to make this a reality. Conclusions: This mixed methods approach highlights water quality as a serious issue in communities around Lake Chapala, and demonstrates inadequate drinking water as a key hazard, potentially perpetuating the high disease burden of both CKD and enteric disease in the region.ITESO, A.C